Process for the manufacture of artificial horn



' degluing chr me 1e Patented Not. 15, 1927.

UNITED TA ES P 1,649,675 ATENT. OFFICE.

JIJ'STUS ELLENBEBGEB, 0F WIESIBADEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 'IO BRIT- ISHI GLUES AND CHEMICALS LIMITED, 01'' LONDON, ENGLAND, A COMPANY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

PROCESS FQR THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL HORN.

Ho Drawing. Application filed April 12, 1926, Serial No. 101,558, and in Germany January 9, 1925.

This invention relates to artificial horn and the manufacture of the same and has for its object to provide an improved process by which a satisfactory article is produced from, cheaper materials than those heretofore employed.

In carrying out the present invention the residue of nitrogenous substances from which the glue-forming matter has been removed, is used.

In the manufacture of glue and gelatine from chrome leather by boiling it with slightly alkaline water in the presence of a suitable magnesium compound such as caustic burnt magnesite, there is left after the glue or gelatine has been removed a scutch or residue that contains approximatel 20% nitrogenous matter (with which is a mixed chromium and magnesium compounds) and about 80% water. Similar nitrogenous material derived from animal sources (here-' inafter deemed to be included in the term scutch) may be employed.

According to the present invention the 7 scutch which is of a pulp-like nature is firstly strained through a metal screen to eliminate any foreign matter and may be pressed to reduce the water content. It is then mixed with an absorbent binding material, such as saponified resin, or a suitable hygroscopic substance such as calcium chloride, magnesium chloride or the like. mixture is afterwards thorou 'hly kneaded and subjected to pressure. It is thenplaced in a solution of formaldehyde for a suitable period and afterwards rinsed and dried as is hereinafter more particularly described.

In some cases an organic acid such as acetic acid is added before the material is ressed in .order to increase its suppleness and to wholly or partially render soluble any chromium that may be present.

Fillers, such as china clay, lithopone, barytes or similar substances may be incorporated with the mixture before the pressing operation.

A suitable dye may be added to the material undergoing treatment either before or after the pressing process or both before and after.

According to one mode of carrying out the present mvention, when the nitrogenous material used is the scutch derived from ther it is first strained as hereinbefore stated. Fifteen per centum of resin (such as colophony) calculated on the dried finished product is now mixed'by kneading in a machine of known construction after which a sufficient quantity of alkali to saponify the resin is added.

The moisture content of the mixture should be about 30% according to the quality of the horn required. This proportion can be effected by pressing the scutch before I mospheres and a temperature gradually r1s-.

ing to 100 degrees Celsius and then gradu-- ally falling.

When the moulded material is in a suitable condition it is removed to a bath containing a 3% to 6% solution of formaldehyde in which it is allowed to remain until it is completely hardened. It is then removed, rinsed and slowly dried inairat a suitable temperature. The

By means of the h-ereinbefore described process an artificial horn is produced.

In some cases calcium. chloride or magnesium chloride may be used as a binder instead of saponified resi Obviously the degree of removal of the glue and gelatine during the degluing step will depend on several more or less complete and the term degluing is used in the claim in this sense.

I claim:

A process for the manufacture of artificial horn comprising, degluing leather scrap whereby a nitrogenous residue is left, adding resin to said residue, thereafter adding a suflicient quantity of alkali to saponify the factors and may be resin, molding the mixture and hardening JUSTUS ELLENBERGER. 

